holiday

With the publication of several excellent, new Hanukkah books, I thought I’d share these and other favorite picture books to read with kids during this holiday season. I don’t just recommend these books for Jewish families who celebrate the holiday either. We all can learn about the history and holiday of Hanukkah even if we […]

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get special children’s books to give and read. From sweet to silly to yes, even gross, find the best kids’ books for the holiday. I’ve divided the books into board books for babies and toddlers, picture books for preschool age up to upper […]

Celebrate Halloween by reading good monster and Halloween books with your children. New Monster and Halloween Books Spookie Pookie by Sandra Boynton Don’t you just love Sandra Boynton board books? My kids ADORED her writing and illustrations when they were littler. This cute Halloween book shows how Pookie makes a decision about what to wear as […]

Kids loving making you gifts from the heart. Here are some ideas for meaningful homemade gifts that you’ll cherish for years to come that your kids can make themselves. Gifts Kids Can Make! Gift Bookmarks Word Collage Bookmark via Simple Kids Ribbon Bookmark via In Between Laundry Tassel Christmas Bookmark via Activity Village Embroidered Portrait […]

Christmas Tree I Spy is our favorite after-dinner December game. It’s exactly what it sounds like — an I Spy game with Christmas tree ornaments. Christmas Tree I Spy You play the same way you play the traditional I Spy. Get two or more people. One person spies an ornament for the others to find. […]

Did you see the New York Times article about the math and language benefits of block play? It made me think of my new favorite building toy, Q-Ba-Maze 2.0, which is more than just blocks – it’s also a marble maze. One of my favorite companies, MindWare, brainy toys for kids of all ages, sent it […]

Just when I started getting my life back in balance from a tumultuous few years, September 15, JJ had a break-through seizure, or a seizure that broke through her medication. This time, the neurologist sort of kind of thought maybe, possibly her precise seizure disorder is Panayiotopoulos. Which isn’t controlled by medication. And is long (20 […]